Ryan, C'23

During her time at Penn, Ryan has worked to improve the student experience for other students like herself. She advocates for other first-generation students through her positions as Advocacy Chair of Penn FIRST and as a member of the Penn First Plus Student Advisory Board. To provide support for other Asian American students, Ryan started a student therapy group with the Pan-Asian American Community House (PAACH). In the classroom, Ryan decided to study neuroscience after taking an introductory class on the subject where she quickly became fascinated by the functions of the brain. Having already been accepted with early assurance to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and completing a fellowship with Blackstone in health investment, Ryan sees a wide array of opportunities in her future. She hopes to forge a career at the intersection of medicine, research, business, and social justice.

"This is an opportunity that would not have been possible if people didn’t care about students, and if they didn’t think about the importance of education for everyone."